It's the latest Porsche 911, the iconic sports car from the iconic sports-car maker. Everything is new except the drivetrain, and even that is a little bit new. The car is longer, wider and lower than the current model and goes farther on every gallon of gasoline thanks to stop/start technology and a function that decouples the engine when coasting. It is also much more refined in ride and handling, limiting what information it transmits to the driver through the steering wheel and through the seat of the pants. Whether that ends up feeling numb or not depends on your perspective and setup preferences.

There will be two models available when the car launches in February, the Carrera and the Carrera S. The Carrera gets a shorter stroke to reduce displacement from 3.6 liters to 3.4 liters in the flat-six boxer engine making 350 hp at 7,400 rpm and 287 lb-ft at 5,600 rpm. The Carrera S makes 400 hp at 7,400 rpm and 325 lb-ft at 5,600 rpm from a 3.8-liter flat-six. Both engines power the rear wheels only through your choice of seven-speed PDK or manual transmissions. Count on cabriolet, AWD, targa, turbo and all the usual 911 models rolled out at some future dates. Word is there won't be a hybrid.

What is it like to drive?

The thing here is how much feedback you want and what form you want that feedback to take. Purists will decry the new 911 and say it's numb, but others will like the sophisticated chassis and suspension that filters out noise vibration and harshness that you don't need. Big bumps, such as potholes, don't get through the steering column to your hands. Smaller ripples do. The most difficult thing for us to get used to was the new active antiroll feature that uses a secondary hydraulic piston at each corner to completely eliminate body roll when cornering. This optional function is a bit disconcerting at first, eliminating input your brain is used to getting from a car. On our first lap around an autocross course, we wound up going straight off in a fast corner because we couldn't sense what the car was doing. Our tiny brain was used to getting inputs of roll, tire slip and steering feedback that just weren't there. On subsequent laps we handled things better. On twisting mountain roads we had no problems, though we weren't pushing it as hard as you would in a gymkhana. No doubt more time in the car will mean adjusting driving style accordingly and what will almost certainly result in faster lap times. As it is, the new 911 laps the Nordschleife in 7:40 seconds, 14 seconds quicker than the model it replaces.

Do I want it?

Those who are going to squawk about wanting a simpler, old-school, lightweight, tossable sports car will probably want a Cayman R. Those who want more power, more room and higher speeds in the straights and through fast sweepers will want one of these. Say what you want about the looks--and you will say what you want--but the new 911 is faster and handles better than the old one, with greater sophistication and ride refinement than any Carrera yet. Drive one of these and then go drive that 993/964/whatever and see whether the new car doesn't do everything better than the car you hold in memory as being best. On the intro program, we drove one each of those old 911s and would have to take the stability and quickness of this new car over the old warriors. But we do think its numbness would take a bit of getting used to.

Pricing starts at $83,050 for the Carrera and at $97,350 for the Carrera S.

Mark Vaughn
- After slumming in Europe five years covering F1 etc. Mark Vaughn interviewed with Autoweek at the 1989 Frankfurt motor show has been with us ever since because no one else will take him. Anyone?
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